Work conveying and presenting mechanism.



a I d R E L L U F B R m o. 9 6 ,0 N.

WORK CONVEYING AND PRESENTING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Jan. 2. 1901.)

(No Model.)

mmufoz NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

RUSSELL'B. FULLER, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN.

WORK CONVEYING A'ND PRESENTING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,416, dated January'7, 1902.

Application filed January 2, 1901i Serial No. 41,920- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUSSELL B. FULLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Holland, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Work Gonveyin g andPresenting Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in means for conveying and holdingmaterials to be operated upon by means of various machines, and moreparticularly to nailing-machines, stapling-machines, and machines oflike nature which are adapted to the manufacture of baskets, boxes, andlike structures.

The object of my invention is to provide greater facilities forhandling, assembling, and holding the material to be operated upon,wherebya number of operators may work in conjunction with a singlemachine, thereby greatly increasing the capacity of the same. Inoperating such machines in the usual way by single operatorsconsiderable time intervenes between the strokes of the machine, duringwhich time the operatoris assembling and disposing of the work.

My invention consists,essentially,in providing improved means for movingand holding cars having holding means in which to assemble and nail thematerials,consisting of tracks or ways for the cars, together withautomatically-operated pawls, stops, switches, and other devices,whereby the cars are moved or held so that a number of operators maywork in conjunction with a single machine, and thus greatly increase theoutput from the same. My device also consists in certain details ofarrangement and construction hereinafter more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a frontelevation of adevice em bodying my invention with parts removed to show theconstruction; Fig. 2, an enlarged plan view of a car adapted for holdingthe basket-covers shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 3, an end elevation of the car,and Fig. 4 the particular form of basket-cover for which the car shownis adapted.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

A represents a nailing-machine as ordinarily constructed.

B represents any convenient number of cars of suitable size and shapeand provided with devices to hold the work to be nailed, the form shownbeing adapted to hold basket-covers made as shown in Fig. l.

0 is a suitable track of any convenient length extending from the,elevator G to the machine A. This track should in practice be of suchlength that a number of persons could work at assembling the materialupon the cars suflicient to keep the machine operating to its fullcapacity. This track should also have an inclination toward the machineto cause the cars to move forward by gravity. The bed-plate of themachine is provided with V-ways D to engage V-grooved blocks D on thecars, whereby the cars are caused to come accurately to place laterallyand are firmly supported under the nailing mechanism and also byfriction held from moving as the nails are driven. To longitudinallylocate the cars, a pawl I is provided, which engages a projection oneach car in succession, preferably the forward axle thereof. Thepressure of the cars on the inclined track 0 holds the car on themachine firmly against the pawl I and runs it off the machine and uponthe pivoted section F when said pawl is released.

At the side of the nailing-machine opposite t-he track O a section oftrack F is provided, which section is hinged to turn downward at the endadjacent to the machine. This track is raised to a horizontal positionby means of a cord K, attached to some reciprocating part of themachine, preferably to the nail-basket A. The pawl I is engaged by themovable end of this section-of trackF and released from engagement withthe car to permit the same to run forward upon the said section F. Toinsure complete closure of the section F, a contractile spring K isinserted in the cord K, which spring yields after the section is closed.To avoid premature release of the car, the end of the pawl I is turneddownward and engaged by a yielding spring F on the section F. Thisspring trips the pawl I after the nailing operation is completed.

I is a pawl pivoted on the section F, which engages and holds the carafter it runs upon the said section and until the end of the section issufliciently lowered to connect with the upper end of an inclined trackE, extending beneath the bed of the machine and the track 0 to theelevator G. The pawl I is released by engaging the support for themovable end of the section F.

G is a vertically-movable elevator operated by a cord K, attached to areciprocating part of the machine, preferably the nail-basket A. Thiscord is provided with sutficient slack to permit the elevator to reachits lower position early enough to receive the car released by thesimultaneous lowering of the section This cord is also provided with aspring K" to yield after the elevator has reached its upper position,and thus insure proper operation should the cord stretch. To insuresufficient movement of the cord, an arm A may be extended from thebasket A, to which the cord may be attached.

Supported by the elevator G and pivoted a short distance above the sameis a tilt-table H, adapted to receive the cars from the track E and alsoprovided with a pawl I to hold the cars on the table. \Vhen the elevatoris in lowered position, the table H engages a stop Jon the end of thetrack E, which stops the elevator and holds the table in line with thetrack E. As the elevator rises a stop J on the end of the track Oengages the end of the table H and presses the same down against theelevator, thus tilting the table and releasing the car by engaging thepawl I with the elevator. This inclination of the table 11 causes thecar to run off the table and upon the track 0. The cars thusautomatically run from the machine upon the section F, are lowered uponthe track E, run down the said track and upon the elevator, and areraised and deposited in series upon the track 0, from whence theyproceed by gravity and in succession through the machine. At each strokeof the nailing-machine a car is released therefrom and another takes itsplace, being pushed forward upon the V-ways by the cars on the track 0.By stationing a sufficient number of persons alongside the track C toplace material on the cars and another near the section F to remove thework from the cars as they leave the machine it is evident that no othermanual labor is needed and, the machine may be worked very rapidly. Forillustration I have shown a basket top in Fig. 4 made of end segments PP and two side strips Q Q and a middle strip Q. I have also shown amachine adapted to nail the strips to the segments, a car having thegeneral outlines of the top shown in Fig. 4 and being provided with pinsM, side springs N, and end springs N to hold the segments P, and alsowith side blocks L and spring-clips O O to hold the side strips Q, and apin M and spring-clips O O to hold the middle strip Q; but I do notlimit my invention to these particular forms. Cars of proper shape andhaving proper means for holding parts of boxes or other articlesdiffering from the cover shown in Fig. 4: can readily be substitutedwithout departing from the essence of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of two oppositely-inclined tracks, an elevator at thediverging ends of the tracks, a pivoted section of track at theconverging ends of the tracks, and means for reciprocating the elevatorand pivoted section, substantially as described.

2. The combination of two oppositely-inclined tracks, an elevator at thediverging ends of the tracks, a tiltetable on the elevator, a stop onthe upper-track to engage and tilt the table, means for operating theelevator, and means at the opposite ends of the tracks for shifting carsfrom the upper track to the lower track, substantially as described.

The combination of two oppositely-inclined tracks, located one above theother, an elevator at the diverging ends of the tracks, a tilt-table onthe elevator, a stop on each track to engage the tilt-table, a pivotedsection of track at the converging ends of the tracks, a pawl on thepivoted section, and means for operating the elevator and pivotedsection, substantially as described.

4. The combination of an elevator, a track inclined away from theelevator, a track inclined toward the elevator, means for transferringcars from the first-named track to the other track, a tilt-table on theelevator, a pawl pivoted on the tilt-table, stops on the respectivetracks to engage the tilt-table, and means for operating the elevator,substantially as described.

5. The combination of an elevator, a tilttable on the elevator, a pawlon the tilt-table, a track inclined from the elevator, a stop on thetrack to engage the table,a section of track at the opposite end of theinclined track, said section being pivoted at one end and verticallymovable at the other end, a track extending from the movable end of thesaid section to the elevator and inclined toward the elevator, a stop onsaid track, and means for operating the elevator and pivoted section,substantially as described.

6. The combination of an elevator having a tilt-table to receive thecars and a pawl to hold the same, a track extending from the elevator toa pivoted section at the opposite end of the track and verticallymovable atone end, a pawl on said section to engage the cars, a trackextending from the pivoted section to the elevator, a pawl to stop thecars on the first-named track, and means for operating the pawls, theelevator, and the pivoted section, substantially as described.

7. The combination of an elevatorhaving a tilt-table, a pawl pivoted tothe table, a track extending from the elevator, a stop on the track toengage the pawl, a pawl to engage a car on the said track, a pivotedsection to receive the cars and engaging the last-named pawl, a pawl onthe pivoted section, a track extending from the said section to theelevator, a stop on the track to engage the tiltt-able, and means foroperating the elevator and pivoted section, substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination of a machine having ways, a track inclined toward theways, a series of cars having wheels to traverse the track, blocks onthe cars to engage the ways and support the cars, and means forreturning the cars to the upper end of the inclined track, whereby thecars are propelled by gravity over the track and ways, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination of a machine having ways to support the cars and apawl to stop the cars on the ways, an inclined track leading to theways, a series of cars having wheels to traverse the track, blocks onthe cars to engage the ways, and means for returning the cars to theupper end of the inclined track, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a machine having ways to support the cars, and apawl to stop the cars on the ways, an upper inclined track at one sideof the machine, a pivoted section of track at the other side of themachine, a lower inclined track extending from the pivoted section andbeneath the ways and upper track, means for shifting cars from the lowertrack to the upper track, cars having wheels to traverse the tracks, andblocks on the cars to engage and traverse the ways, substantially asdescribed.

11. The combination of a machine having ways, a pawl to stop the cars onthe ways, an upper inclined track at one side of the machine, a pivotedsection of track at the other side of the machine and operating thepawl, a pawl on the pivoted section, a lower inclined track extendingfrom the pivoted section and beneath the ways and upper track, anelevator to shift cars from the lower to the upper track, means foroperating the pivoted section and elevator, cars having wheels totraverse the various tracks, and blocks on the cars to engage andtraverse the ways, substantially as described. 4

12. The combination of a machine, having a reciprocating member, carsadapted to hold and convey the stock to be operated upon by the machine,an elevator, and a pivoted section of track, means for connecting theelevator and pivoted section to the reciprocating member of the machine,a track extending from the elevator to the machine, and a track from thepivoted section to the elevator, substantially as described.

13. The combination of a machine having a reciprocating member, cars tohold and convey stock to the machine, an elevator having a tilting tableand pawl to secure the cars, a cord having an elastic portion andconnecting the elevator and said member, a track from the elevator tothe machine, a stop to operate the tilt-table and pawl, a pawl on themachine to stop the cars, a pivoted section of track to receive the carsand engaging the pawl, a cord having an elastic portion and connectingthe pivoted section and said member, and a track from the pivotedsection to the elevator, substantially as described.

14. The combination of a nailing-machine, having a reciprocatingnail-basket, cars having means for holding the stock to be nailed, anelevator, a track from the elevator to the machine, a pivoted section oftrack vertically movable at the end toward the machine, a trackextending from the pivoted section to the elevator, a cord extendingfrom the elevator to the nail-basket, a cord extending from the pivotedsection to the nail-basket,

' and springs in the cords, substantially as described.

15. In combination with a nailing-machine, and means for conveying carsin succession to the machine, a car having pins and springs to hold theend segments of a basket-top, and side blocks and spring-clips to holdthe strips of the same, substantially as described.

16. In combination with a nailing-machine, ways on the machine, acircuit of tracks to convey cars from one end of the ways to the otherend of the same, a car having wheels to traverse the tracks, blocks onthe car to engage the ways, means attached to the car for holding thesegments and strips of a basket-top,an d means for automatically movingthe car over said tracks and ways, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSELL B. FULLER.

Witnesses:

LUTHER V. MOULTON, PALMER A. J ONES.

